If you can handle the weight, an axe is one of those tools you'd trade many others for in a survival situation. It can perform all the duties of a good saw, large fixed blade, and a small survival knife. If sharpened correctly it can also feather a stick and create some extremely fine kindling. This is one of those axes that can do all this and more. The 13" hardwood ash handle has a straight profile and the 3.5" blade axe head is superbly attached - that sucker isn't going anywhere. Swiss made, so you know the stainless steel will perform as well as any for both edge retention and corrosion resistance. It has an extremely nice feeling whether you're holding an inch away from the head or an inch away from the butt end - it's just very well balanced. Of course, it's got a hammer pommel on the other side of the axe for banging in tent pegs and the entire package weighs 2.25 pounds without a sheath.

Specifications

Blade Length: 3.25"

Handle Length: 13.25"

Overall Length: 15.75"

Blade Material: Stainless Steel

Blade Thickness: 0.58"

Handle Material: Hardwood Ash

Handle Thickness: 1"

Weight: 35.9 oz.

Made in Switzerland

Badges

Wood Handles
Provides a traditional, natural look and feel to a modern tool. Wood absorbs shock well and is popular in axe handles.

Customer Reviews

(10 reviews)

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Tom H

Illinois

Aug 10, 2018

Pros: Head Material, Balance, Construction, Weight, Handle Material

Cons: None

Perhaps, the Best Bargain @ KnifeCenter.com

Don’t tell anyone about these, until I have a chance to buy a several more. I want to give these as Christmas presents to family and friends this year. These would make a great gift for a youngsters about 10-12 years old, perhaps, just transitioning from Cub Scouts, to Boy Scouts (from Daisies, to Girl Scouts), where they can start learning axe care and usage. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The two Swiss Military Surplus hatchets I received were in good order and fairly sharp. I highly recommend you download free U.S. Forest Service: “An Axe To Grind: A Practical Axe Manual”, by Bernie Weisgerber, to learn to properly use/sharpen/care for an axe. Great book, even if you do know. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> See: Johni, from Bloomfield’s review for removing polyurethane coating. Since the two I purchased are gifts for my son and nephew, I won’t be removing the plastic. My offspring didn’t inherit my OCD genes for tool care/fighting rust. My epitaph will read: “He fought rust, rot, rodents, weeds, and ignorance his whole life, … and he lost the fight.” They can remove the plasti-coat, or wear it off chopping wood, as they choose. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The Swiss Military Surplus hatchets arrived with a fair grind on them. If you spent 30-60 minutes with a sharpening puck, you would have a real nice grind. May want to rough-up handle with a wood rasp, too. The handle could be reshaped for smaller hands. This hatchet has very nice balance and feel to it. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I’m not going to take it out and chop wood with them, as they are gifts, but, I can tell from my experience with many other hatchets that these will work just fine for limbing trees, and chopping/splitting kindling wood. I sure don’t need another hatchet, but at this price it would be a sin not to gift one to myself. May even gift one to my brother-in-law, but might have to show him which end to hold. It would be a nice hatchet to keep in the truck. At least twice in my life I have come upon down trees in the road, where it was easier to clear a path, than to go back. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> P.S. You’ll have to make your own sheath (easy to do with a few pieces of leather, some copper rivets, and a 12 line snap).

Johni

Bloomfield NM

Sep 26, 2017

Pros: Head Material, Construction, Weight, Handle Material

Cons: Balance, None

Handy and we'll made

This small axe comes with a plastic coating sprayed over the wood and steel. I removed it and used steel wool to further smooth the wood and applied a few coats of tung oil. I tried it on some kindling and did some branch trimming and so far I have no complaints

J

Minnesota

Sep 04, 2017

Pros: Construction, None

Cons: Handle Material

Well made military surplus.

Well made and not hard ti bring to readiness. Obviously overbuilt so as to make it soldier ready. Good for a camp axe but a little heavy for most crafting. Needed a good sharpening but that is to be expected from an axe that has been in military storage. Overall excellent condition. This is my first ash handled axe. While the ash performs well I find I like the feel of hickory better.